I’m writing to tell you about an exciting development in a landmark court case, one that can redefine what Pennsylvania cities can do to protect their residents from gun violence. The city of Philadelphia is currently being forced to defend its law requiring gun owners to report when a gun is lost or stolen. Not only will this policy save lives, it will help law enforcement better track the sources of illegal guns into neighborhoods. This week a judge granted CeaseFirePA’s petition to intervene in support of Philadelphia. That is really good news, because it means: 1) We will be able to put witnesses--experts--on the stand who can testify as to why lost or stolen laws will save lives. 2) We can make legal arguments in the trial court on behalf of Philadelphia and this life-saving policy. 3) Should this case require an appeal, we can automatically continue to fully support Philadelphia at every stage of the appellate process. This is a big moment for us--one that would not have been possible without our partners at the Public Interest Law Center and generous assistance from Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, LLP--and we just wanted to make sure we shared the good news with you! | |
